Wolff: Emissions furore won't harm VW motorsport

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff doesn't believe that the scandal currently surrounding the Volkswagen Group will harm the company's current motorsport activities, even if it came at the just the wrong time for a potential foray into F1.

The German giant, despite years of denying the possibility, was rumoured to be close to a deal to buy into, or even buy, the Red Bull team from energy drinks magnate Dietrich Mateschitz when the news broke about the rigging of emissions tests on its diesel road cars. While team boss Christian Horner admitted recently that any possible deal had 'gone up in smoke', Mercedes rival Wolff says that he can't see VW's other motorsport activities being too badly affected.

Mercedes goes up against VW brand Audi in the highly-competitive DTM, while both Audi and Porsche compete in the World Endurance Championship and VW itself competes in the World Rally Championship, alongside sister marque Skoda. VW also controls Ducati, which races at the highest level in motorcycle sport.

"The world doesn't stop turning and it doesn't stop turning for them either," Wolff insisted, "They have a daily business and part of that daily business is marketing and selling cars, it's activating various properties and motor racing is one of those areas.

"They do Le Mans with two brands, rallying with Volkswagen and DTM with Audi, so I don't think it is going to have an effect on what they are doing in motor racing. It is probably the right perspective that this [scandal] is much bigger than motor racing [but] I don't see any impact on these activities."

Wolff is wiser than to start opining too heavily on another company's business, however, particularly with an F1 world championship on the line for Mercedes.

"Who am I to speak about Volkswagen?" he smiled, "I can give you my opinion, but I don't know what is happening behind closed doors."